People love food. People love to watch movies. Why not combine these two passions with a good food documentary?

Driven mostly by independent filmmakers, this genre has grown significantly alongside the increasing interest in how we eat and how our food is produced. It's also become an area of the film world where you can count on some good controversy, since many documentaries focus on exposing some of the shortcomings of the American food system.

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That said, it's not all heavy stuff—there are also portraits of oddball characters from around food world, fly-on-the-wall films about some of the world's strangest food competitions, and behind-the-scenes looks into what happens in the kitchens of world-class chefs.

Here, we break down 20 of the best food documentaries, all of which are available right now on Netflix or iTunes. Grab some gourmet popcorn, crack open a craft beer, and fire one up tonight.